Solow on course for £1.1m Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

Solow en route to winning his fourth straight Group 1 in the Qatar Sussex Stakes – can he make it five on Champions Day? Image copyright of Racingfotos.com

The £1.1 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored by QIPCO), the richest mile race in Europe (£1.1 million), has attracted 36 entries with Richard Hannon no doubt having high hopes of improving a place or two with last year’s placegetters, Night of Thunder and Toormore. However, the race named after the British monarch could again have a French conqueror.

The cross-Channel raiding party could include the 2014 French 2000 Guineas winner, Karakontie, this year’s French 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes scorer, Ervedya, and Gleneagles’s closest pursuer from this season’s QIPCO 2000 Guineas, Territories.

But it will be led by Solow, who has already plundered two QIPCO British Champions Series mile races this term and hails from the yard of Freddy Head which landed this event at British Champions Day in 2014 with Charm Spirit.

Head said: “Solow is very well and he has come out of last week’s victory in the Qatar Sussex Stakes looking beautiful. The plan is to wait for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes now – it will not matter if it rains in October.”

“He will not run again before QIPCO British Champions Day because, as a gelding, there are no suitable races for him while the only possible prep race comes on Arc day which is a bit too close to Ascot.”

“It is very difficult to compare Charm Spirit and Solow as they are different ages. Charm Spirit was a very good horse and it is tough to choose between the pair.”

If you would like to be at Champions Day in person to see the best older horse in action, be sure to visit the Ascot website to buy tickets. 

The full entries for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored by QIPCO) are: 

Arod (IRE), Ascription (IRE), Balty Boys (IRE), Bawina (IRE), Belardo (IRE), Bold Lass (IRE), Cable Bay (IRE), Celestial Path (IRE), Charming Thought (GB), Cougar Mountain (IRE), Decorated Knight (GB), Dutch Connection (GB), Elm Park (GB), Ervedya (FR), Esoterique (IRE), Estidhkaar (IRE), Fluff (IRE), Gabrial (IRE), Gleneagles (IRE), Here Comes When (IRE), Integral (GB), Karakontie (JPN), Kodi Bear (IRE), Lightning Spear (GB), Mondialiste (IRE), Moohaarib (IRE), Night of Thunder (IRE), Onenightidreamed (IRE), Richard Pankhurst (GB), Sir Isaac Newton (GB), Solow (GB), Territories (IRE), Time Test (GB), Toormore (IRE), Top Notch Tonto (IRE), Vadamos (FR).